In the highly fertile plain surrounding Andria in the Apuglia region Conte Spagnoletti owns one of the largest estates of extra virgin olive oil from whom we import. His holding is approximately 250 hectares and it is a "Masseria" – i.e. practically a self-contained self-subsistent farm. In the past a masseria sustained many families that worked the land, tended the animals and nurtured the liquid gold. Many masserie also contained their own small church. The various work gangs heavily prune the olive trees and sink back into the soil all of the mulched leaves and branches as fertiliser. They fortunately have considerable reserves of bore water and therefore are able to irrigate during the
extremes of the Apuglian summer which can reach well into the +40º Celsius. Their crop is almost always prolific and because of these factors they are able to produce an exceptionally high quality extra virgin olive oil with wonderful nutty and peppery characteristics yet still in the unique free- flowing method and remarkably inexpensive.
